by Jaq Wright
“How will we ever figure it all out?” Cameron asked. “I don't know if there are any of Perez's people left that know anything.”
“Well, we have the dogs, and several examples of the mesh, and the computers. Surely with enough geeks from the Bureau, we'll get there.” Mitzi was thoughtful. “I hope so, anyway. Think of all the paraplegics who could be helped. Maybe make the whole mess worth it.”
◆◆◆
As he rode in the back of an NYPD cruiser into Manhattan with Pierre, Overbridge was ruminating. He was not sure what to do with the information he had NOT shared. He knew the telephone number, the program name, the codes. He had been paying careful attention. And for some reason he was absolutely certain that the password Blaylock had been about to say was “Happy Birthday.” His thoughts were interrupted by Pierre.
“Was she beautiful when she was young?” he asked. “I mostly remember a woman devastated by cancer.”
“You know?”
“I read everything I could find about you. There were a lot of coincidences. I assumed. I hoped.”
Thoughts of Perez receded. “Yes, she was very beautiful.” Pierre put his strong arm around Overbridge's shoulder, and they rode on in silencAcknowledgements
I began this novel as a part of the NaNoWriMo challenge to write a novel from start to finish in the month of November. I was inspired to make the attempt by my girlfriend Candy’s roommate, Camille. The result was a 50,000 page book that was unreadable, but had the kernel of a story.
In the six years since then, I wrote the novel, married my girlfriend, re-wrote the novel, got sidetracked by taking on two pre-teen foster children, re-wrote the novel, and re-wrote the novel. It was not until the third or fourth re-write that I realized that I had named my hero after Camille, who had started me down this path.
I want to thank my friends and family who read early versions, and particularly my wife Candy, who put up with her surgeon-husband taking enormous chunks of limited leisure time on the project.
Thanks also to my editor, Stephanie Lundeen, for her advice and insight, as well as her patience with the unruly commas.
If you want to be a writer, I strongly suggest you write. There is nothing else.
Jaq Wright
December, 2019